The industry association, Kosmetiikka- ja hygieniateollisuus ry, asked some 3,000 Finns about their beauty and personal care habits. The key takeaways include a completely equal use of fragrance – and surprisingly low interest in sustainability claims.

The Finnish Cosmetic and Hygiene Industry Association (Kosmetiikka- ja hygieniateollisuus ry) is a trade association representing the interests of companies manufacturing, importing and distributing cosmetics and personal care products, as well as detergents and cleaning products for consumers and professionals and institutional and industrial use. To offer its members relevant information about the Finnish cosmetics market and consumer behaviour, the association asked research company Verian to conduct a panel study on the use and purchase of cosmetics and personal care products in the Finnish market.

– We designed the survey together with our members to obtain relevant information and results that are useful both to us and to our member companies, Eeva-Mari Karine (pictured), Chief Advisor, The Finnish Cosmetic and Hygiene Industry Association, says. The data was collected in March this year and includes responses from approximately 3,000 people. Themes studied were purchasing habits, cosmetic information sources,​ online shopping,​ and market value.

– Member companies have welcomed the results and have been able to utilise them in various ways. 

What are the key takeaways?

– Based on the cosmetic consumer survey, the Finnish cosmetic market size is about €1.4 billion (RSP). Women account for 67% of all cosmetics purchases. The Finnish Commerce Federation’s study estimates the size of the Finnish cosmetics market also at €1.4 billion, which enhances the reliability of this cosmetic consumer study.

– On average, adults spend €30 monthly on cosmetics, women (€40) use twice as much as men (€20): a Finnish adult spends approximately €360 per year on cosmetics. 

– The most popular places to buy cosmetics in Finland are grocery stores, due to the easy availability of products. The reasons for shopping from the different distribution channels vary. For example, when purchasing products from pharmacies and hair salons, service is highly valued. Almost one in three people purchase some cosmetics from online stores. All product categories are purchased evenly from online stores.

– Cosmetics are part of the daily routine for people of all ages. Factors such as residential area or education have no impact on the use of cosmetics. Almost nine out of ten Finns (87%) are regular users of cosmetics and personal care products. 97% use personal care products, such as toothpaste, deodorants or soaps, daily. There are no differences in the use of these products between different groups. 

– The majority use skin care (55%) and hair care products (52%) daily. People under the age of 35 are more active users of skin care products than their older counterparts. Hair care products are also used more by young people than older users: 62% of those under 25 use them daily, but only 42% of those over 70 do the same. 

– 76% of women use make-up it at least sometimes. Just under a third of women and a third of men say they use fragrances every day. Interestingly, there is no difference between men and women in their use of fragrances! This is the only product category where men and women ‘are the same.’

Except for that, what surprised you?

–In Finland, people are generally interested in sustainability issues. Cosmetic industry does a lot to promote sustainability and make more sustainable products. Unexpectedly, most consumers do not pay attention to sustainability claims when purchasing cosmetics: only 4% say that sustainability claims have a significant impact on their choices. Overall, sustainability arguments only influence just over a quarter of decisions when purchasing cosmetics and personal hygiene products.

– Based on the results concrete sustainability claims, such as the recyclability of packaging, the biodegradability of a product, or the domestic origin of a product, have the greatest impact on decision-making. In contrast, claims such as ‘climate-compensated’ have no real impact on consumer decisions.

– One interesting result is also the fact that consumers are not as keen to seek information about cosmetics before purchasing the products as one could think. Information is sought particularly about the price of the product (34%). Only 17% of consumers are interested in ingredient information although ingredients are discussed in public quite regularly and there is a lot of information available. For example, the Cosmile Europe ingredient database is available in Finnish. 

– Typically, information about cosmetics and personal hygiene products is sought from online stores (27%). It is interesting that only 4 % of the Finnish consumers seek information related to cosmetics from influencers when they make their product choices.

Based on the results, is it possible to identify ’a typical Finnish beauty consumer’?

– I would say that a typical Finnish cosmetics consumer is sensible, price-conscious, and values good quality of the products as well as easy availability of products. The main reason for the Finns to buy cosmetics is to affect their well-being by using it. The top three reasons for buying cosmetics are: to improve hygiene and cleanliness, to take care of skin and hair, and to affect well-being. People under 25 differ from other age groups: a larger proportion of them use cosmetics to boost their self-esteem (38%), cheer themselves up (27%) and pamper themselves (33%) than other age groups, says Karine. She adds:

– Price, product suitability for personal needs, and quality are the most significant factors affecting product choices. 

The Finnish Cosmetic and Hygiene Industry Association has presented the results to other Nordic cosmetic industry associations. Now, it is up to them to decide whether they want to conduct a similar study in their own markets. 

– If they decide to do so, it will certainly be interesting to compare the results. By sharing our best practices among associations, others can, if they wish, benefit from the work that has already been done.

What can you say about the future of the Finnish cosmetic market?

– The market has grown steadily for years, and, according to the forecast by the Finnish Commerce, it will increase by 15,6 % by 2030. The reliability of this consumer study is demonstrated by the fact that the estimate of the size of the Finnish cosmetics market made by the Finnish Commerce Federation in the spring 2025 is similar to the estimate this consumer survey gave, Karine concludes.